by Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

JOLIET, Ill. - Matt Kenseth finished the first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup where he started the 10-race title run: At the top.

The top seed in NASCAR's championship playoff opened the Chase with his sixth victory of the season, taking the lead from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch on a restart with 22 laps remaining at Chicagoland Speedway.

"I wasn't sure I wasn't going to be able to get Kyle, but I'm glad I was able to get it out front," Kenseth told television reporters in victory lane.

"I thought with the conditions tonight, we were going to be off a little bit. We had a really good test here last week. Kevin (Harvick) gave me a great push too."

Kenseth's victory capped a marathon Geico 400, which ended shortly after midnight ET on Monday - nearly 10 hours after it was scheduled to begin. The race was red-flagged for five hours and 10 minutes because of rain after starting an hour and 20 minutes late because of earlier storms.

Kyle Busch finished second, followed by Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson, making it a sweep of the top five by championship contenders.

The past two winners at Chicagoland - Tony Stewart in 2011 and Brad Keselowski in 2012 - went on to win the title.

"We had a great car tonight," said Kyle Busch, who was going for a weekend sweep after winning the Truck race Friday and the Nationwide race Saturday. "Kurt didn't get a good enough restart to get with me and push me forward. They beat us, but it's a great night for Joe Gibbs Racing to start the Chase like this."

"Man, that was so much fun," said Gordon, who rebounded from a flat tire after the rain delay that put him a lap down. "To think how far down we were with 40 laps, to be able to come up through there and get sixth, that's what we needed to get this Chase started out right."

With NASCAR implementing new rules banning digital communications with spotters and ordering drivers to compete at "100% of their ability" (according to president Mike Helton), there was no foul play at the 1.5-mile oval.

But there was plenty of drama as problems affected several drivers running for the title.

It was a night of attrition for two other Chase drivers, starting with pole-sitter Joey Logano. The Penske Racing driver, in the first Chase of his career, led the first 32 laps until a competition caution and was in third when the race was stopped for rain.

"I am pretty angry," said Logano, who finished 37th. "That was such a fast race car we had. You have these every once in awhile. It is a bummer to have it in the Chase when you are running for a championship. I feel like Chicago was one of those tracks we could win at. Everyone was doing the right thing. We have a really fast race car and we put it on the pole and led laps today. It just wasn't our day I guess."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. also suffered a serious blow to his Chase hopes when the engine in his No. 88 Chevrolet failed with about 50 laps remaining. NASCAR's most popular driver had rebounded from a collision in the pits just past the midpoint to take the lead briefly before his third engine problem of the season.